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Finding the Right Prostate Cancer Diet
Feb. 15, 2008 (San Francisco) -- Men: Take off the skin!
That's the advice of U.S. researchers who found that poultry and eggs double the risk of prostate cancer progression.
"But when we broke it down, the increased risk was confined to poultry with the skin on and eggs," says June M. Chan, ScD, of the University of California, San Francisco.
The study of about 1,250 men treated for prostate cancer also showed that orange and yellow vegetables, such as squash, yams, and carrots, and cruciferous vegetables, such as broccoli, cut the risk of recurrence by about half.
Fruit and fish did not appear to help prevent prostate cancer from returning, Chan tells WebMD.
The study results were based on data from CaPSURE, a national registry of men with prostate cancer.
Though the findings need to be confirmed in other studies, Chan says that they held up even after the researchers took into account other factors -- such as age, weight, and exercise -- that can affect prostate cancer risks.
"If you eat chicken or poultry, eat it without the skin," she advises.
Pomegranate Juice Protective
The study was presented at the Genitourinary Cancers Symposium, presented by the American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO) and two other cancer care organizations.
Other research reported at the meeting pointed to the benefits of pomegranate juice and lycopene in preventing prostate cancer progression.
Five years into a study testing the benefits of pomegranate juice, UCLA researchers report that an 8-ounce glass a day continues to keep prostate cancer recurrence away.
UCLA researcher Allan Pantuck, MD, and colleagues enrolled 46 men in a study funded by the owners of POM Wonderful Co., the maker of the pomegranate juice used in the study. The men all had rising PSA (prostate-specific antigen) levels after cancer treatment; all drank 8 ounces of pomegranate juice every day.
As a measure of progression, the researchers looked at the time it took PSA levels to double. The faster PSA levels double, the sooner a man is likely to see prostate cancer return.
Original results of the study, published in 2006, showed that the men's overall PSA doubling time was nearly four times slower after they began drinking pomegranate juice.
Pantuck says that when the study was scheduled to end, a lot of the men didn't want to give up the pomegranate juice. So its design was amended and men were allowed to continue consuming their purple drink.
As of August 2007, 17 men had been followed for an average of 58 months. Their PSA doubling time is now nearly five times slower than before they started drinking the juice, Pantuck tells WebMD.
"There's a very durable improvement," he says.
The researchers are now enrolling men in a major clinical trial that will pit pomegranate juice against placebo.
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Indication
Uroxatral® (alfuzosin HCl 10 mg extended-release tablets) is an alpha1-blocker for the treatment of the signs and symptoms of BPH.
Important Safety Information
Do not take UROXATRAL if you have liver problems or if you are taking antifungal drugs like ketoconazole or itraconazole, or HIV drugs like ritonavir.
UROXATRAL can cause a sudden drop in blood pressure, especially when starting treatment. This may lead to fainting, dizziness, and lightheadedness. Do not drive, operate machinery, or do any dangerous activity until you know how UROXATRAL will affect you. This is especially important if you already have a problem with low blood pressure or take medicines to treat high blood pressure. There may be an increased risk of low blood pressure and fainting when taking UROXATRAL in combination with blood pressure medication or nitrates, or erectile dysfunction medication.
If considering cataract surgery (clouding of the eyes), tell your eye surgeon that you are currently taking UROXATRAL or have previously been treated with an alpha-blocker.
Before taking UROXATRAL, tell your doctor if you have kidney problems.
Also, tell your doctor if you or any family member(s) have or take medications for a rare heart condition known as congenital prolongation of the QT interval.
BPH and prostate cancer can cause the same symptoms. However, UROXATRAL is not a treatment for prostate cancer.
The most common side effects with UROXATRAL are dizziness, upper respiratory tract infection, headache, and tiredness.
Please see UROXATRAL full prescribing information.
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